Would you ditch your iPhone for Samsung?

Both Apple and Samsung are scheduled to launch their next big models this year and the bets are already on as to who will win the race.

Samsung is already planning to release its S3 next month, ahead of the iPhone 5’s possible launch in June, in an effort to beat the competition.

According to CNet, the Korean giant might include a new human interaction feature in the S3.

A feature similar to face recognition software being used on Android phones, it will use the front camera to keep track of the user’s eye movement and lock the screen accordingly.

While preventing others from using the phone or accessing contents on the screen the feature could also help save battery power by keeping alive only the section where the eye contact is active.

Bigger and brighter

Reports also indicate that the new smartphone will feature a 4.7-inch display and have features that could almost match the Apple’s Retina Display.

And with the Exynos Quad.-core 1.5GHz processing chip along with 1GB of RAM it would take some convincing for anyone to put the new S3 aside.

The new iPhone 5, according to latest online reports may even include a new 3D feature when it is launched in June.

In fact, what sparked the rumour is a job listing on Apple’s website for an iOS software engineer with skills, knowledge and experience in Computer Vision, Image Analysis and 3D geometry.

Other features that Apple might incorporate in its new phone could be an increase in the screen size from its current 3.5 to 4 and do away with physical buttons.

Samsung has already increased its market share with regard to the sale of its S2 and Galaxy Note.

A sales staff at Sharaf DG told Emirates 24|7 that almost 20 units of Galaxy Notes and S2s are being sold every day, a number that is similar to that of the iPhone 4S.

“In fact Samsung is actually doing well. At least in this market there is a growing appetite for Android phones,” he said.

And with forthcoming new releases the gap with regard to technological advancement and features between Samsung and iPhone would get much closer, giving a clear edge to the former outside the United States.

New iPad 3 to reach shelves in the UAE by April 30

The official launch of the new iPad in the UAE could be around the corner, but is anybody bothered?

According to sources within the industry, the iPad3 will officially launch in the UAE before April 30.

However with abundant stock available in the grey market and prices as low as its original retail price in other markets, leading retail outlets in the country could have already lost out on the race.

A grey market merchandiser yesterday told Emirates 24|7 that he is trying to move his remaining stocks at the earliest before the new iPad becomes officially available in the UAE market.

“Based on information from my sources I have learnt that the new iPad will be brought to the UAE within the next two weeks.

“That’s the reason we are trying to move our remaining stocks at the earliest. But you can never be sure, especially when it’s an apple product the dates are never fixed,” he said.

The Apple store, however, refused to confirm or deny the news.

“We will only get to know when the listing will be out on the website,” said a customer-care executive at the Apple call centre.

Click here to read: Nokia vs HTC, and previews of the latest gadgets